Search:

Filter:

By Category

By Date

Turbines almost ready to turn at Hook Moor wind farm

The first wind farm in the Leeds metropolitan area is getting closer to generating clean, green energy after the completion of construction work on the last of its five turbines.

Banks Renewables, part of The Banks Group, is investing £14m in building the Hook Moor wind farm on agricultural land near the junction of the M1 and A1.

Main contractor Hall Construction has been working on the site since April to prepare the infrastructure required for the erection of the turbines, and after starting to put them up at the beginning of the month, construction work has now been finished in under three weeks.

Commissioning and testing work has now begun, with the Hook Moor scheme on track to be fully operational before the end of the year.

Up to 30 people are working on site during the construction of the Hook Moor wind farm, and local firms have been awarded a range of contracts relating to various aspects of its development, such as accommodation, catering and security.

Lewis Stokes, development relations coordinator at the Banks Group, says: “The decent weather we’ve experienced through October has allowed our team to move quickly, and they’ve done a great job in getting the Hook Moor turbines in place without delay.

“Testing work is now taking place, and we’re on target to see Hook Moor generating clean, green energy before the end of the year.”

A community benefits fund worth around £10,000 per year, or £250,000 over the 25-year lifetime of the scheme, will also be linked to the Hook Moor wind farm, with the first tranche of funding being made available once it is fully operational.

Banks Renewables will work in partnership with the local community to provide financial support for local community groups, environmental projects and voluntary organisations during the scheme’s lifetime, to ensure that tangible long-term benefits result for the local area from the company’s operations there.

Around £7.8m worth of business rates will also be generated from the wind farm over its 25-year lifespan.

Lewis Stokes continues: “The development of the Hook Moor wind farm has brought real benefits to the local community in terms of jobs, supply chain contracts and other local spend, and with the community benefits fund about to come online, its positive impact on the area is only just beginning.

“Modern, efficient, indigenous onshore wind farms such as Hook Moor generate safe, clean and sustainable energy, as well as offering the cheapest available form of renewable energy generation, and we’re excited to be so close to seeing this project go live.”